ISLAMABAD: The Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24 on girls’ education reveals that a total of 26.2 million children are still out of school, 13.4 million of whom are girls. Regarding facilities for disabled students, the report revealed that 23% of schools have ramps, but there are fewer educational institutions providing special teaching materials or assistive devices.
The report also mentions that 23% of teachers in girls’ schools are trained at the foundational level. Only 19% of schools have digital devices. Furthermore, the educational budget has decreased from 13% to 11%, with 94% of the total funds being spent on salaries, leaving no room for developmental work. The number of women in higher education is now approaching that of men, but their participation in employment is only 24%, which is a significant loss of human capital.
96% of schools have solid buildings, 92% have toilets, and 82% have access to clean drinking water. The completion rate of primary education for girls has increased from 75% to 89%; however, malnutrition affects children’s height and weight.
According to the National Achievement Test (NAT) 2023, girls scored better than boys in English, Urdu/Sindhi, and Mathematics. In the eighth grade, they were also ahead in Science and Mathematics. The report highlights that the number of schools per 1,000 children has decreased due to population pressure.
While expressing his thoughts on the findings, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui stated that the data presented on girls’ education will serve as the basis for policy-making. He emphasised that without accurate data, solving issues is not possible.
“History shows that no country develops in isolation; the entire region progresses together,” he said. “After the data, we need to take concrete steps because successful policies have always been formulated based on data.”
He said the path to preventing dropouts in girls’ education can only be blocked by changing our attitudes and expanding our thinking, and that it is crucial to decide whether to treat Pakistan’s population of 140 million young people as a burden or provide them opportunities to make them an asset.
“We need to start the fight against ignorance from our homes,” he added. “The state gives a girl a degree or skill, and it is her right to be allowed to move forward.”
While parents should give their daughters domestic responsibilities, they should also allow them to continue their professional work. “It is a waste of human capital to keep skilled women confined to their homes.”
Siddiqui concluded by stating that serious actions for girls’ education have become an urgent necessity, and the government will utilise all resources to this end.
Minister of State for Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, discussed the key highlights of the report, stating that an action plan needs to be developed.
Director General (DG) of the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Dr Mohammad Shahid Soroya, said that Pakistan’s daughters are proving their exceptional abilities in the field of education. The results of the National Achievement Test (NAT) show that when girls are provided with a conducive environment, they can outperform boys in all fields. “Our goal is to identify the gaps through data, which are hindering the progress of our daughters, so that we can improve policy-making.”
The report was developed in collaboration between the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), the Malala Fund, Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE), and the Ministry of Education. Federal Parliamentary Secretary, Farah Naz Akbar, Senator Fawzia Arshad, partners’ representatives, and education experts also attended the event.
News Published in Express Tribune on February 26th, 2026.
